Washington DC [US], March 5: Apple CEO Tim Cook promised a "big week" of product announcements has seen the introduction of a new budget-friendly iPhone trim, an entry-level Macbook tier, updated iPad Air models, refreshed monitors and higher-end chipsets. All of which was on display at hands-on media events held Wednesday in New York, London and Shanghai.
The tech titan recently saw its quarterly earnings rise to a new record, thanks to strong sales of its iPhone 17 models, even though the company still hasn't delivered on its 2024 promise to smarten up its Siri assistance with AI.
Perhaps looking to capitalize on this sales momentum, Apple started the week off announcing the latest entry in its more budget-friendly phone lineup, the iPhone 17e, and its announcement frenzy with the introduction of the Macbook Neo, an entry-level laptop that represents the company's most aggressive attempt at moving into the affordable laptop market.
Everything announced will be available for preorder starting Wednesday. So if you need more information before you start shopping, here's the skinny:
This updated version of iPhone targeting budget-conscious shoppers will include the same A19 chip as the one powering the base iPhone 17 and offers double the standard storage space (256GB) as the previous 16e model (128GB).
The camera has been updated to a 48 megapixel system and its C1X modem promises faster cellular speeds.
As for display, the 17e clocks in with a slightly smaller screen compared with the base 17 model, has a slightly lower refresh rate and may be a little dimmer to the human eye, but you're still getting the super retina display used in the rest of the lineup and Apple's Ceramic Shield 2 system to guard against scratches. Apple also put included MagSafe with Qi2 support for those looking for a more convenient wireless charging experience.
Starting at $599, the iPhone 17e comes in $200 cheaper than the base iPhone 17. Colors include black, white and light pink.
The midrange iPad refresh runs the slightly older M4 chip - for reference, the top-end iPad Pro model uses the newer M5 chip. But it's still powerful enough to handle your streaming habits, web browsing, email and video editing. Cellular versions of the Air also include the updated C1X modem for faster connections.
You wouldn't think there's a RAM shortage in the world with what Apple has announced this week. The company bumped the Air's RAM up from 8GB to 12GB without a price increase.
The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599 while the 13-inch version starts at $799, each with 128GB of storage.
Apple's high-end Pro lineup of laptops received newly announced chip upgrades (the M5 Pro and M5 Max), which claim higher performance for intensive usage and battery efficiency. But the new upgrades come with a higher price tag too.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip set comes with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It's priced at $2,199, a $200 increase compared with 2024 base M4 Pro. For an extra cost, you have the option to upgrade to a higher tier of the M5 Pro or jump to the M5 Max chip. You can also bump the system's RAM up to 48GB.
Source: Qatar Tribune
